Latching and locking means for luggage cases or the like



I. FEINBERG March 25, 1969 LATCHING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR LUGGAGE CASES OR THE LIKE Sheet I of2 Filed Sept. 15, 1967 INVENTOR. IRVINQ F'El NBERG March 25, 1969 l. FEINBERG 3,434,313

LATGHING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR LUGGAGE GASES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 13, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 z 42 c 22 )6 F 32 D PIE. 4

I N VENTOR. IRVING FEJNBERG ATTORN ET United States Patent 3,434,313 LATCHING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR LUGGAGE CASES OR THE LIKE Irving Feinberg, Saddle Brook, N.J., assignor to Presto Lock C0., Inc., Garfield, N.J., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 667,597 Int. Cl. A45c 13/10; E05b 65/52 US. CI. 70-70 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to latching and locking devices for luggage cases or the like and is more particularly concerned with devices having a pivoting latching member and a cooperating hasp mounted upon respective wall members of the luggage case.

It has heretofore been proposed, as disclosed in Thiele 2,399,302, granted Apr. 30, 1946, to provide a latching and locking device for a luggage case in which a pivoting latching member is supported upon one wall member of the case and a cooperating hasp is supported upon another wall member of the case. Although this structure has been known for many years, it is considered unduly complex and lacking in aesthetic appeal.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved latching and locking device for a luggage case or the like in which the parts of the device are minimal in number and are easily manufactured and assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this type in which a latching member is supported upon a cover plate and cooperates with the cover plate to conceal the space beneath the plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type in which both longitudinal and lateral portions of the latching member are exposed for finger actuation of the latch.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved latching and locking device for a luggage case or the like in which a cover plate serves to conceal a cooperating hasp, as well as latching device parts, in which substantially the entire latching device is supported upon the cover plate mounting means.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which mates with a valance strip and harmonizes with luggage case trim.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features Otf the invention will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred and exemplary embodiment, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a latching and locking device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device, the cover plate being shown in phantom lines to reveal the normally concealed parts, this view illustrating the latching member latched to a hasp;

FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 but with the latching member shown disengaged from the hasp;

'FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately in the planes of line 44 of FIG. 2, this view additionally showing the manner in which the latching device is supported upon a wall member of a luggage case and overlies a hasp supported upon a companion wall member;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 5-'5 of FIG. 1 illustrating the relationship between key barrel, bottom plate, and locking bolt;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 illustrating detent means for the latching member;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view (inverted left to right from FIG. 3) showing the underside of the cover plate and of the latching member, the bottom plate being removed for clarity in illustration;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the bottom: plate illustrating the support and guidance for the locking bolt; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a hasp which may be employed for cooperation with the latching device of the invention.

Generally, a latching device in accordance with the invention comprises a cover plate having relatively angulated legs, one of which is adapted for orientation longitudinally with respect to the edge of a supporting luggage case wall member and the other of which is adapted to extend laterally to a hasp supported on a companion wall member. A latching member has similarly angulated corresponding legs and is supported on. and beneath the cover plate for pivotal movement about the leg junctions. Portions of the latching member legs project from beneath the cover plate legs along one edge thereof for finger engagement. The free end of the laterally extending leg of the latching member is provided with haspengaging means and the free end of the corresponding cover plate leg has a shielded recess for receiving and guiding the hasp. A bottom plate, also mounted on the cover plate, has angulated edges which are alternately juxtaposed with corresponding edges of the legs of the latching member in the hasp-engaging and hasp-disengaging positions of the latching member. Indexing of the latching member in its respective positions is provided by a detent supported on the cover plate, and locking is provided by a key barrel and lock bolt supported on the bottom plate. The cover plate and the latching member have depending flanges which cooperate in concealing the space beneath the cover plate.

Referring to the drawings, a latching device A and a hasp B are adapted for association with respective wall members C and D (FIG. 4) of a luggage case or the like, which are brought together when the case is closed. The peripheral edges of the wall members may be provided with conventional valance strips E and F, and the walls of the luggage case may be formed of any of the conventional materials employed for this purpose, such as aluminum, molded plastic material, molded resin impregnated materials, thermoformed plastic compositions, leather, or leather-like materials.

The latching device A comprises a cover or top plate 10, which preferably is made as a die casting, and which, as will be apparent hereinafter, constitutes a thin onepiece housing. The cover plate has a pair of relatively angulated legs -12 and 14 (obtusely angulated in the form shown), leg 12 being adapted to be oriented longitudinally of the peripheral edge of the associated wall member C, upon which the valance E is mounted in the form shown. Leg 14 extends laterally of leg 12 to bridge the edge of the associated wall member C and the opposing edge of the companion wall member D upon which the hasp B is mounted. The cover plate thus has an asymmetrical substantially V outline.

The cover plate is preferably attached to wall member C by means of spaced integral connecting studs 16 and 18 which depend from the cover plate and are expanded to form heads after being inserted through corresponding openings in wall member C. As shown in FIG. 4, shoulder 20 formed on the underside of the cover plate adjacent to stud 18 may engage the upper surface of valance strip E to assist in holding the cover plate slightly elevated relative to the outer surface of wall member C. Also, the connecting stud 18 is located to be extended through an opening in the valance strip E to trap the strip to the Wall member. A boss 22 depending from the underside of the cover plate 10 is adapted to engage the upper surface of wall member C to stabilize the mounting of the cover plate. As will subsequently appear, the boss has a second function-to provide pivot means for a latching member.

As illustrated, the free end of leg 12 of the cover plate 10 may be provided with an extension 24 of reduced width and having its upper surface slightly below the upper surface of the cover plate proper. This projection is adapted to be inserted into the hollow end or beneath a trim strip (not shown) and to be fixed thereto, as by means of a rivet inserted in opening 26, whereby the cover plate may appear to be substantially continuous with the luggage case trim. Adjacent to and beneath the free end of leg 14 and cover plate has a shielded recess 28 (FIGS. 4 and 7) formed to receive the hasp B when the latching device and hasp are brought together.

FIG. 9 illustrates a preferred hasp member B. The hasp member, which preferably is made as a die casting, may have a base portion 30 for supporting the member adjacent to the edge of the associated wall member D and a pair of integral connecting studs or rivets 32, which may be inserted through corresponding openings in the wall member and expanded behind a portion of the valance strip F for connection thereto, as shown in FIG. 4. The hasp member has a tapered latch abutment 34 which extends above and projects from the base 30 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9. The male taper of the width of abutment 34 complements the female taper of the width of the recess 28 of the cover plate so that the recess serves to guide the abutment to proper position for engagement by the latching device.

Returning to the latching device A, a latching member 36 has a pair of relatively angulated legs 37 and 38 associated with and corresponding to legs 12 and 14 of the cover plate. The latching member is a metal plate having a circular opening 40 through which the boss 22 of the cover plate is extended. To furnish an increased bearing surface for the boss acting as a pivot pin, the latching member is formed to provide an annular inner flange 41 at the opening 40, as shown in FIG. 4. The latching member 36 is supported for pivotal movement in a plane substantially parallel to the major plane of the cover plate. The pivotal axis is located substantially at the junctions of the legs of the corresponding pairs. A bottom plate or frame 42 is also supported by the cover plate, preferably by means of integral depending connecting studs 44 and 46 (FIG. 7), the ends of which are expanded to retain the bottom plate. The pivot boss 22 passes through the bottom plate to engage the wall member C. The shank of the stud 44 has an added function; it provides a stop to limit the rotation of the latching member 36 at its fully hasp-disengaged position. Rotation of the latching member toward hasp-engaging position is limited by a stop provided by the side of a projection 47 depending from the underside of the cover plate 10 at the recess area 28 (FIG. 7).

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, portions of legs 37 and 38 of the latching member project from beneath the cover plate along one edge of the similarly angulated corresponding legs 12 and 14 and are exposed for finger engagement. In the latched condition of the device, the exposed portions appear as a margin outlining the adjacent edges of the cover plate. The free side edges of the exposed portions of legs 37 and 38 are formed to provide a depending flange 48 (FIG. 7) which cooperates with a depending peripheral flange 50 at the opposite side of the cover plate. The flange 56 merges with a boss 51 (FIG. 7), whereby the space beneath the cover plate is substantially concealed. The bottom plate 42 also projects from beneath the cover plate at the same side as the latching member and has edges provided with depending flanges 52 which are angulated as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so as to provide portions juxtaposed with corresponding portions of flange 48 of the legs of the latching member when the latching member is positioned in the respective extremes of its pivotal movement. The flanges 52 of the bottom plate may also engage the upper surface of wall member C, as shown in FIG. 4, to assist in stabilizing the mounting of the latching device.

The latching member 36 is provided with detent means for its latched and unlatched positions. As shown in FIG. 6, a spring strip is mounted upon a connecting stud 56 extending from beneath the cover plate 10. The spring strip is formed with an upraised detent portion 58 and the strip is biased toward the latching member so that the detent S8 is received in either of a pair of spaced recesses 60 formed in the latching member. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the detent 58 enters a recess 60, the latching member is held in one of its extreme pivotal positions but may be readily turned to its alternate position by applying finger pressure to one of the exposed portions of legs 37 and 38 to overcome the resistance of the detent. When the latching member and the detent spring are assembled with the cover plate, sufiicient pressure is exerted between the latching member and the detent to provide the indexing action and to exert some detent pressure upon the latching member even when the detent member is not engaged with a recess in order to provide smooth controlled movement of the latching member.

Adjacent to the free end of leg 38 of the latching member, hasp-engaging means, such as a projecting latching lug 62 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the lug has substantially greater thickness than the major portion of the latching member plate and is located behind the latch abutment 34 of the hasp when the latching member is turned to the hasp-engaging position of FIG. 2. The nose of the latching lug preferably is curved to facilitate a camrning engagement with the hasp abutment 34. It will be noted that when the latching member is in its haspengaging position, substantially the entire space beneath the cover plate is enclosed.

From FIGS. 2 and 3, it is apparent that in turning the latching member from the hasp-engaging to hasp-disengaging position, the exposed portion of leg 38 of the latching member projects from under the cover plate to a greater extent. The exposed portion of leg 38 is provided with an upstanding projection 64 which may be readily gasped to rotate the latching member in either direction, but preferably toward latching position. A substantial component of motion longitudinal of the peripheral edges of the luggage case is afforded, and the proper actuation of the latching device is readily perceived by users familiar with the conventional longitudinally reciprocating latching devices. Finger pressure may be exerted upon the exposed portion of leg 37 in order to open the latch.

In order to releasably maintain the latching member engaged with the hasp, a suitable lock is provided. In the form of the invention illustrated, the locking means comprises a cylindrical key barrel 66, a fiat spring-type locking bolt 68, and a blocking lug 70 projecting downwardly from leg 37 of the latching member. The key barrel is mounted in a corresponding opening in the cover plate 10 from below and has a rim portion 67 (FIG. 5)

which is too large to pass through the opening. The key barrel is supported upon the locking bolt 68 and upon a boss 71 struck up from the bottom plate 42, which may be a metal stamping. The bottom plate has a hole 72 aligned with the opening for the key barrel. A key may be inserted into the key barrel, the tip entering hole 72, and turned to engage a notch of the locking bolt and cause the bolt to reciprocate, as is well known in the art. FIG. 2 illustrates the locked position of the locking bolt, in which it interferes with the blocking lug 70 and prevents pivotal movement of the latching member from its hasp-engaging position. FIG. 3 illustrates the unlocked position of the bolt in Which the blocking lug is free of the bolt. The locking bolt is guided by integral lugs 74, 76, 78 and 80 struck up from the bottom plate 42. The lug 74 also engages notches of the locking bolt and serves to index the bolt. The locking bolt is retained in either position by virtue of the resilience furnished by its generally U-shape and its being made of resilient material.

It will be observed that the entire latching device is supported by the mounting means furnished by its cover plate. The cover plate forms a slim one-piece housing which overlies and conceals the hasp, and the cover plate and the latching member cooperate in shielding the space beneath the cover plate. The latching device consists of only the cover plate, the latching member, the bottom plate, and the detent strip. For locking purposes, the key barrel and the locking bolt are added. The key barrel is supported without any separate supporting parts. The latching and locking device of the invention is thus ex ceptionally simple to manufacture and install. An advantage of its configuration is that it may be utilized at the end of a trim strip and provide a desirable continuous appearance. By virtue of the exposure of the latching member along substantially an entire side of the cover plate and the substantially longitudinal movement of the actuating projecting means, the latching device is readily operated even by those having little mechanical aptitude.

The advantages and improved results aiforded by the invention are believed to be apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

I claim:

1. A latching device for a luggage case or the like cooperable with a hasp, said latching device comprising a cover plate having a pair of relatively angulated legs, one of which is adapted to be oriented substantially longitudinally relative to a peripheral edge of an associated wall member and the other of which is adapted to extend laterally of said edge and to bridge said edge and the opposing edge of another wall member, the cover plate having means for supporting the plate upon an associated wall member, a latching member pivotally supported on and beneath the cover plate adjacent to the junction of said legs, the latching member having a pair of relatively angulated longitudinal and laterally extending legs corresponding to the legs of the cover plate, respectively, the legs of the latching member having portions projecting from beneath the corresponding legs of said cover plate along one edge thereof and exposed for finger-engagement, the laterally extending leg of the latching member having hasp-engageable means adapted to be moved between hasp-engaging and disengaging positions when the latching member is pivoted in opposite directions, respectively.

2. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover plate has a boss for pivotally supporting the latching member, the boss extending through the latching member and being adapted to engage a Wall member associated with the latching device.

3. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, including detent means for releasably holding the latching member in its hasp-engaging and hasp-disengaging positions.

4. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover plate has a recess adjacent to the free end of its laterally extending leg for receiving and guiding a hasp.

5. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the laterally extending leg of the latching member has an upstanding projection adjacent to its free end to facilitate rotation of the latching member.

6. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, including a bottom plate supported by the cover plate beneath the latching member, the bottom plate having a pair of relatively angulated edges projecting from beneath the cover plate.

7. The latching device of claim 1, wherein the cover plate has a depending flange along the edge thereof opposite to said one edge and wherein the edge of the projecting portions of said latching member legs have a depending flange, whereby the space beneath said cover plate is concealed.

8. The latching device of claim 1, wherein the said longitudinally extending leg of the cover plate has a reduced portion at its free end adapted to be inserted in a valance strip.

9. A latching device as set forth in claim 1, including a bottom plate beneath the latching member connected to the cover plate; and locking means comprising a key barrel turnable in an opening of the cover plate, a locking bolt supported by the bottom plate and guided by means provided by the bottom plate for movement between locking and unlocked positions, the latching member having means engageable by the bolt to block the pivotal movement of the latching member.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,382,308 11/1964 France.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner. 

